With over 30 years of experience with horses, Kate's approach to training and riding focuses on solving problems with ingenuity and intellect, while assisting others on their equestrian journey. 

Kate's Story

On the back of a horse before she could walk, Kate started with her first pony at the age of three and never looked back. Beginning her education with riding across the countryside in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Kate enjoyed fox-hunting as a child, as well as self chartered explorations through thousands of acres of open land with the aid of some very tolerant ponies. 

At the age of 12, Kate found her passion in Three Day Eventing through the grace of a Westphalian pony that she purchased for $5, as she was mostly unbroke and darn near uncatchable! They competed through the Novice level, and that was that. The constant challenge and the balance of physical and intellectual demands of the sport have kept her hooked for many years. 

In 2005, she was lucky enough to stumble upon her horse of a lifetime, Nyls du Terroir, who was at the time only four years of age and a hellion with a mane and a tail. Supremely athletic, unbelievably quirky and frighteningly intelligent, Nyls and Kate have come up through the ranks together, partnering for the past 11 years and competing through the CIC3* level since 2010 and garnering many top placings in the sport. The experience and education that a horse of this magnitude has afforded Kate is irreplaceable. 

After college, Kate decided to pursue her passion full time and become a professional equestrian. While working for several years galloping thoroughbreds at the track, she developed a special talent for working with "difficult" cases, and solving problems that others were unlikely to tackle. Her desire to unlock the best performances from sometimes challenging horses has not waned, and to this day she continues to develop her skills with horses that can be unusual in their approach to life. 

Alongside her competitive career in Three Day Eventing, Kate manages the barn for the Keswick Hunt Club, taking care of the elite athletes of the huntsman’s horses throughout the year. Riding is a passion, but so is the detailed day-to-day care that goes into keeping any horse sound and happy through their career.

With lots of experience starting young horses, Kate focuses heavily on ground work with all horses under her care, and firmly believes that they should all understand how to navigate any obstacle with confidence and a calm attitude, which often begins on the ground.

Accomplishments